Story of a Can-Can Dancer
by Emiline
Summary: With nowhere else to turn, a young girl seeks fame, fortune, and glory at the Moulin Rouge!
1. Default Chapter

Lorelei's eyes fell on the tattered-looking wind-mill shaped building. "This," she thought to herself, "would have to work-out." The great sign above it said in white lights THE MOULIN ROUGE!. She had to pass this audition. If she didn't, with no other source of money, would live ont he streets. She had left for schooling a year ago. But while she was making her way to London, she received a telegragm from her sister telling her her mother had passed away from appendicites. Hurring home, she returned to find that her sister had been left all of the money in her mother's will. While her mother had left instructions for Virginia, Lorelei's older sister, to make sure Lorelei was given proper schooling and her inheritance- Virginia thought much differently. After returning to school, with promises from Virginia to give her her cut of the will and to pay for her schooling. But, one day, the dean of students came to Lorelei. He told her that since her stay at the school, that had recieved no check from her sister, and that they were forced to expell her. Returning home, furious, Lorelei discovered that her sister had fled with every bit of the money. Nobody in the town knew of her wherabouts.  
  
The only thing that eighteen-year old Lorelei could do was fall back on her only talent, dancing, for she had no education. From what she had been told, Paris was the place to go to break into show-buisness. Talking to people from around the town, the Moulin Rouge was holding auditions for Can-Can dancers. But, they had all told her, the type dancing they did was sinful. Some even called it the dance hall of evil.  
  
But Lorelei was at the breaking point, she needed a job, and if the Moulin Rouge could give her one, than so be it. 


	2. Chapter 2

She was dressed in a cherry colored satin top and a matching, velvet peg skirt. On her feet she wore black boots that tied all the way up to her mid calf. 'I might as well dress the part' she mused while picking out her clothes that moring. Lorelei looked the part of a dancer. She had to-die- for blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was tall, slender and a bit curvy. She twisted her hair around and around her finger and she wait in the waiting room. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she heard "Lorelei Lee, come in". She came in and handed the man sitting at a long table with four other women, two on each side, her portfolio. "Sit down a stretch out a bit while we interview you" he said. She got down and stretched out her calves. She had no idea what they might ask her to do. The only dance training she had ever had was 14 years of ballet.  
  
Then they began asking her questions. "How long have you been a dancer?" "Um, w-well about fourteen years I s-supose." "What kinda dance you taken?" "Well, ballet." "Have you ever been part of a nightly cabaret- type show before?" "Well, n-no." The man and four women looked her up and down. The women gave the man a look, and he nodded. The woman spoke, "Honey, where ya from? Go home to your mama, okay?" "No! No, I will not!" Lorelei spouted out. "Look, I need this job, okay? If I had a mama to go home to, trust me, I would. But I am alone and I need the money." "Honey, this isn't the kinda job your cut out for. Have you ever been to a Moulin Rouge show?" "Well, no, I supposed I haven't." "Look, I'll tell you what we can do, obviously, your a talented dancer. Why don't we skip ahead to the dance part of the audition. Then, if you pass, we'll give you a ticket for tonight's show. After you see exactly what the Moulin Rouge Can-Can girls do, and if you still want to join up, your in." "Oh, yes! Thank you so much, that would be wonderful 


	3. Chapter 3

They had her complete a series of complicated turns, high kicks, and splits. When they finally felt they had seen enough, they man turned and spoke. "Well, it seems you definitely have the capability needed for the job. I'll give you a ticket for you to get in. After you've reached a decision, find a man named Mr. Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford is my business assistant, I will let him know that you'll be by... Is there anything else you need?" "No, I don't think so, sir. Thank you so much!" Lorelei said excitedly. Basically, she had the job. Yes, she would still have to go and take a look, at the show. But, how bad could it be?  
  
Dressed in green, Lorelei stepped up, yet again, to the great wind- mill known as the Moulin Rouge. She twisted the chords of her purse nervously. She tried to brace herself the best she could. She couldn't act like a silly little school-girl in front of all these people...  
  
When Lorelei stepped inside the large dance room, she had to take in her breaths deep. It was like the devil's playground. There was music blasting from all around. There were girls doing a can-can routine on a platform. But then there were girls out in the audience talking, flirting, kissing with these men who looked as though they were in heaven. (Despite the outward appearance which was that of the devils playground.) Even though what these girls were doing made Lorelei feel awkward, the costumes these girls got to wear were the most gorgeous she had ever laid her eyes on. They were all made of satin, and were covered in rhinestones, pearls, opals, sequins, and beads. Now she knew why the people who had auditioned her were so weary of letting a young girl become a diamond dog. Can-can dancing was NOT all they had to do. She had to clear her head for a minute.  
  
Lorelei walked out into the courtyard. She sat down next to a fountain and began to think. How could she let herself do what those...girls were doing? Her first thought was what her mother would think. She knew her mother would never, ever want her daughter, especially her youngest, to do something like that. But, she reasoned, her mother was a strong and independent thinker. She would want her daughter to stand up and take control of her life. Not to sit around and cry her eyes out over where her next meal would come from. Besides, this was only until she could get enough money to go back to school. Her mother would want her to do what she had to to take care of herself.  
  
Lorelei's mind was made-up. She marched into the outlandish room and found a waiter. "Excuse me, where could I find a Mr. Rutherford? He's expecting me. I'm Miss Lorelei Lee." "Yes, I could take you to his office." "Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you." The waiter escorted her into a hallway and up three flights of dark stairs into a dimly-lit room with a telephone and a desk. A man was sitting in a chair speaking on the phone, the man she assumed to be Mr. Rutherford. Lorelei turned to thank her escort, but he had already left. After a few minutes, he hung up the telephone and faced her. "Who would you be?" "I am Miss Lorelei Lee, did the man holding the auditions not speak to you about me?" "Oh yes, he did mention it. Have you reached a decision?" "Yes, I have. I would love to work here at the Moulin Rouge." 'Wonderful, wonderful" the man said, and pulled a form out of a drawer. "You'll have to sign these papers, to make it official. You'll start work at eight tomorrow night. But, since your new, you'll need to come by about eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. One of the other girls will show you the ropes. Plan on staying all day." 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  
  
* I'm dedicating this next chapter to a person with the pen name untitled, because she's such a sweetie and has an amazing talent for writing! You guys HAVE GOT to read her stuff!  
  
Lorelei awoke at 9:30 the next morning, nervous, but excited. She ate breakfast, and got ready. She gathered all of the things she needed, such as make-up and such and headed down to the Moulin Rouge. She arrived a few minutes early. She waited on one of the benches outside and waited. After about ten minutes, a tall, pretty raven-haired girl walked up. "Hi, you must be Lorelei! I'm Ivette! Come on in, we've got to get you fitted and stuff!" Then Ivette walked, or more like bounced her way over to the entrance, unlocked the door, and held it open for Lorelei. At first taken aback by the girl's energy that seemed to sprout out of her, Lorelei was relieved. She had been expecting some old, mean bag to come and help her. But Ivette seemed very sweet. "Okay, first we'll take you to the back and let them take your measurements, then we'll find you some costumes that fit, and then I'll teach you the routines!" 'Routines?!' Lorelei secretly panicked in her head. 'More than one?' she thought.  
  
Ivette led the way to the fitting room, and introduced her to a plump sort of woman with a kind face. "Helen, this is Lorelei, she's a new can- can dancer here...She needs to be fitted. I'll go get coffee and be back? Okay?"  
  
"Sure, I will see you later!" Lorelei answered. "Nice to meet you, Helen, by the way."  
  
"The feeling is mutual, I am glad there's another nice girl here like Ivette. She's just the sweetest thing, isn't she?"  
  
"Yes, it was awfully nice of her to meet me here this morning and still be cheerful about it!" Lorelei laughed, and Helen joined in with her.  
  
After a few minutes, Ivette came back, and Helen finished up with Lorelei's measurements.  
  
Helen wrote them down and gave Lorelei the sheet of paper, and said "Just go to the Costume closet, and give this to the CM, alright? Ivette, you know where it is...See you girls later!"  
  
Walking back down the hall, Lorelei asked "CM?"  
  
"Costume Manager" Ivette answered. "The Closet is just here down this hall..." Ivette said, taking a left. She opened the door, and Lorelei was astonished. The word 'closet' was such a minor word for what Lorelei saw. There were costumes of every color, every texture, and each and every one had something glittery and exciting on them. Lorelei couldn't wait to try them on.  
  
"May I help you girls?" said a man with a clipboard.  
  
"Yes, um, here's my measurements" said Lorelei, handing the paper to the man.  
  
"She'll need a 'can-can' costume, an 'entertain' costume, and I can't remember what the other one's called, but it's a little green one with green rhinetoney things..." Ivette offered.  
  
"I'll be right back" said the man.  
  
" I didn't know I was doing more than one dance" said Lorelei  
  
"Oh yeah, these three are just to start with!" said Ivette, looking excited.  
  
Although this wasn't Lorelei's first-choice job, she was beginning to have fun! Then immediately felt guilty about it...She shouldn't be having fun! She was about to dance for men she didn't even know...That's sinful! Right? 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5  
  
"All right, now I'm going to teach you our 'Let me Entertain You' routine, because it's the hardest. The other one is just our can-can, which is isn't very hard.  
  
"What is the green costume for? You said you couldn't remember before..."  
  
"Oh..." Ivette said, looking at the floor. "Well, I do know what it is...I just didn't want to say it in front of the CM...That's your Meet and Greet outfit for tonight."  
  
"Meet and Greet?" Lorelei questioned.  
  
"You know..." said Ivette obviously not wanting to really talk about it. "What you'll wear when you go talk to those men tonight..."  
  
"Oh, I see..." said Lorelei. "Well, why don't you teach me that dance now?"  
  
"Sure," said Ivette and Ivette began to teach her the routine.  
  
As Ivette did all of the complicated movements, Lorelei followed along, and followed along well.  
  
"Wow! I am really impress! You picked up that in practically no time at all! And that was out hardest piece! Do you want to take a break or something, I am kinda hungry?"  
  
"Sure, I'm starving!"  
  
Lorelei and Ivette walked out of the Moulin Rouge and over to a local cafe. They both ordered salad and tea.  
  
"Ivette? Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure" said Ivette, through a mouthful of salad.  
  
"Is having to, you know, ...talk with those men horrible?"  
  
Ivette thought for a minute and then answered. "No," she finally answered "it's not. Lot's of the girls at the Moulin Rouge, including myself, just love to flirt! And that's all most of us do...is just flirt a bit, it's harmless really."  
  
"Then why did you seem so embarrassed when I was asking you about the costume earlier?"  
  
"Well, like I said, MOST all of us do is flirt. But, some of the girl, don't JUST flirt...They...well...you know... It gives us all a bad name though, when plenty of us just aren't like that. But it's kinda fun being known as a temptress...you know? Because me and all of my friends know that I'm not!" Ivette laughed. "Come, on. We'd better get back. I've still got to teach you that routine and how to put on your make-up for tonight's show, and your facial expressions, and how you have to talk tonight!"  
  
"Umm...All right..." And with that, they walked back over to the Moulin Rouge.  
  
In just an hour Lorelei knew the can-can front and back.  
  
"Now!" said Ivette, "I've got to teach you how to do your make-up!"  
  
"Okay, I brought mine with me..."  
  
"Here, let me see." Ivette said taking the train case from Lorelei and looking inside.  
  
"Hon, you expected to wear this stuff tonight?" she said, giggling.  
  
"Well, yeah, that what I always wear."  
  
"Not to a Moulin Rouge show! Here, let go to the prop room. Most girls bring their own make-up, but I think that there is some back there."  
  
They walked down the same dark hallway as before, only turning at a different door. Lorelei was again amazed at what she saw. There was all kinda of stuff in there! Mostly glittery type hats, and canes and stuff. Although, there was a bizarre trapeze and cage that she really didn't want to ask about. Over on a bookshelf there was some make-up.  
  
"Here we go!" said Ivette, happily.  
  
Lorelei looked at it, "Ivette, these are all...bright colors. We WEAR this stuff..."  
  
"Well, yeah...Why wouldn't we? Were supposed to be temptresses, remember?" Ivette said, with laughter in her voice. "Grab that blue eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, red lipstick, and foundation." Ordered Ivette, looking over the selection. After they got what they needed, Ivette took Lorelei back to the girls' dressing rooms. Ivette led Lorelei to a door, and to Lorelei's surprise, it had her name on it! "This," said Ivette "is your dressing room. Now, come to the mirror and set the stuff down. I'll tell you what to do with it all!"  
  
After Lorelei and Ivette had covered the make-up lesson, Ivette turned to Lorelei. "Now this," she said "is the un-fun part" said Ivette, a little grim. I am supposed to tell you the things that were told to me when I first started to work here."  
  
"Yes..." Lorelei said, motioning for her to go on.  
  
"When you are up there on that platform, you aren't Lorelei Lee anymore. You are a completely different woman. On that platform, you are the most glamorous and sexy woman alive. Do you catch my drift? Even if you don't feel like you are, you have to make...them, see it that way."  
  
"I think I understand..."Lorelei said.  
  
"I know it's going to be hard,"said Ivette, with honesty in her eyes. "But that's what diamond dogs do. And, there's one other thing, even if you do have a boyfriend or something, you have to always appear single. If your boyfriend comes to the show or something, you have to act like he's just a guy, you can't acknowledge your relationship."  
  
"That won't be too hard...I don't have a boyfriend" Lorelei laughed.  
  
"You will soon enough though..." said Ivette, laughing too. "By the way, I would keep this dressing room of your nice. You never know whether or not you might have an admirer waiting outside your door with flowers, wanting to speak with the beautiful can-can dancer Miss Lorelei Lee!" Ivette said with a wink, "See you at the show! 8:00, don't forget!" 


End file.
